We are raising money for Doro and Gigi’s medical treatment, boarding, and transport to their foster homes in the US.

Doro was a stray dog our family met while vacationing in Aruba. We first met him when we parked our car for a hike. He greeted us at our car along with a few other dogs. We gave them treats and pets and began our hike. Doro hiked with our family for 3 hours. During our hike, a couple of other dogs started to team up and attack Doro. He tried to get away, and they chased him. He rolled on his back, being submissive. They stopped, but then it happened again, and they weren’t stopping. We had been trying to let them work it out without interfering, but it got to the point that I thought he might be seriously injured. I yelled loudly, and they stopped. I wondered if he was a stray and how he’d survive at the bottom rank of the pack of dogs. Once back at our car, Doro tried to leave with us. We put some food down away from our car, but he ignored the food and followed us back to our car. Then he followed alongside our car all the way out of the parking lot. The whole way, he was wagging and looking at us through the window. It was heartbreaking to drive away from him. When we were out of the parking lot, he dropped his head and slowed down, looking defeated.

A couple of days later, we visited the dogs at the landfill to feed them. Doro was still there. He immediately greeted us at our car. He didn’t want to eat or drink but was happy to get pets. It was such a hot day that he was panting and kept trying to find shade under the parked vehicles. He didn’t stay under the cars for long because he wanted to be close to us. He is incredibly gentle with the kids and such a love.

We couldn’t stop thinking about Doro. We felt as if WE abandoned him each time we drove away. He had a collar on but no tag. A collar could mean that he had an owner and was roaming. In Aruba, there are no leash laws, and owners often let their dogs roam freely. Also, unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to dump their pets in Aruba. Since we found Doro near the landfill, we were worried that was what happened to him. I contacted ARF Aruba to ask if they knew anything about this dog. Kathy from ARF said we needed to check his microchip. He was neutered, so she knew that he’d also have a microchip. I also contacted Crijojo trappers to ask if they knew about him. They catch the strays to spay and neuter them. This is an important mission in trying to help with the stray population in Aruba. When I told them that this dog was at the landfill, they sent our videos to Miguel, a wonderful man who volunteers with the Aruba rescues and feeds a lot of the strays. He knew this dog…he had been feeding him a few times a week since he was abandoned at the dump about 2 years ago. He was the one who had him neutered and microchipped. He called him Doro. 2 years as a stray and still this dog is so loving and trusting.

Now that we knew that Doro was homeless, abandoned at the dump, we had to go back for him. Kathy from ARF explained the very difficult process that would be ahead of us if we decided to save Doro. We don’t have the room in our home to foster or adopt another pet right now nor the funds it will take for his treatment and transport. We made the decision to save him and figure out each step as it came. Kathy made him a vet appointment and said to let her know when we had him, and she would meet us at the vet. That same morning, as we drove to pick him up, my sister texted me that she found him a foster home. I cried happy tears! Doro was being saved!

When we got back to the dump to get Doro, he recognized our car as soon as we entered the parking lot. He was so happy to see us, especially the kids. We got him in our car and brought him to the vet.

At the vet, it was confirmed that Doro is a neutered male, and he has a microchip. They estimate that he is 6 years old, but with strays, it’s hard to tell, and he could be younger. He received his vaccinations and flea and tick preventatives. He had bloodwork done, and everything was looking good until we found that he is heartworm positive. Fortunately, heartworm is treatable, but this means that his medical treatment will be costly, and he will need to be boarded at the vet longer before he can come to the US.

There was no way we could turn back and return Doro to the dump. We decided to save Doro, and that’s what we were going to do. We can’t do it alone. We need your help. His treatment, boarding, and transport to the US are going to cost a lot. We’ve made the first payment towards his treatment, and ARF Aruba is helping us with this process. They get a rescue discount for his medical treatment in Aruba and have some donated meds to use towards his treatment as well. We are hoping to raise money for some of the costs for Doro. Please consider donating to help save this sweet boy! If you cannot donate, please share his story!

I will continue to update on Doro until he has completed his treatment and made it to a forever home. Here is the current plan for Doro:

Doro is being boarded at the vet and starting his heartworm treatment there. He will hopefully be healthy enough for transport to the US in April. If he completes all his heartworm treatment there, he can’t travel until June. We think it is best for Doro to come in April if he is healthy enough to fly, and he can continue his treatment while living at a foster home.

Update (February 28, 2025): We are now also saving Doro’s friend Gigi. How did we go from rescuing 1 dog to 2? When first met Doro, there was another dog, Gigi, who was very timid during our first encounter. Gigi came to us but wouldn’t take food from our hands. He was very hungry and ate when we put the food on the ground. Gigi didn’t go on a hike with us and he didn’t try to leave with us as Dori did the first time we met them at the dump. When we returned to the dump to feed the dogs, Gigi was a little more friendly and trusting of us. At this point during our trip, we were still in the process of figuring out if these dogs were owned and roaming or if they were abandoned strays. We had only asked about Doro because we honestly didn’t know how to come up with the money for even 1 dog at that time and didn’t yet have a foster home for even 1. When we found out Doro was abandoned and we had decided to save him, we went to pick him up at the dump. When we got there, not only did he come running to our car….Gigi came to us as well and for the first time, he was wiggling his bum and so excited to see us. We didn’t have a plan in place to take him too and hadn’t checked if he was also a stray, so we fed him and left him behind. He wasn’t the only dog we left behind. There are many strays at the dump because it is a place they are commonly dumped. These were the only 2 dogs that we saw all 3 times we went to the dump. I kept thinking about him and in the back of my mind knew we had to save him next. But I was thinking after we had raised all the money for Doro. A couple of days ago I messaged Kathy from ARF to get an update on Doro. She said he was sad and they were trying him out with a rescue puppy that is still being boarded at the vet. She sent me a video and although Doro was getting along with the puppy, she thought he wasn’t very appreciative of his new rambunctious roommate. Immediately I mentioned the other dog from the dump. Could we also save him? Can he and Doro be companions until they come to the US and are in loving foster or forever homes? I told her we could figure out how to raise enough for both. She said try to find a foster first. I contacted Miguel and asked him if he had been there to feed the dogs since we had picked up Doro. He told me he had been going to see Gigant (what he called him and our kids nicknamed Gigi once learning this). Gigi was depressed because his brother had been hit by a car a few weeks before and then we saved Doro and he was alone. He had been companions with Doro and sleeping together with him near the fishermen dock. The other strays at the dump slept together elsewhere. We had to save him too. I felt awful for him being there alone and not knowing why we took his only friend and Doro being in boarding not knowing that he is there because we are helping him…he’s being treated for heartworm and then he will be in a loving home and not a stray at the dump. Today Kathy and Miguel are getting Gigi and he will be reunited with Doro at the vet. We hope that he does not also have heartworm. Will update again when I have new info. In the meantime, until I find out what the expenses will be for both dogs, I am keeping our goal the same. These dogs although bonded, do not need to be adopted together. While they are being treated and boarded at the vet, it is ideal for them to be together so they do not become depressed as they don’t understand. Once in loving homes, they will adjust and be happy even if they are separated!

March 1, 2025 update: Miguel went to get Gigi to bring him to the vet yesterday but he could not find him. He found him today but the vet was already closed and will not reopen until Tuesday due to the holiday there Monday. He will get Gigi Monday and bring to his house so he is sure he will have him for his vet appointment Tuesday morning. I can’t wait for Doro and Gigi to be reunited! I will post photos of both dogs if Kathy and Miguel send any. Once Gigi has his vet appointment, we will have a better idea of the total costs and I will raise our go fund me goal to cover his costs as well. I am also raising funds through sea glass auctions. If by some chance I raise more money than needed for Doro and Gigi, all remaining funds will be donated to ARF (Animal Relief Foundation) Aruba and they will use to save more animals.

March 6, 2025 update: Miguel brought Gigi to the vet and met Kathy there on Tuesday. Gigi had his vet appointment and received his vaccinations and flea and tick prevention. The vet estimates that Gigi is 3.5 years old. He is also neutered and microchipped. His lab work looks good and he is healthy. He is heartworm negative! Doro and Gigi are now being boarded together at the vet until they can be transported to the US. I can’t wait to see Gigi after he adjusts to being there and is as happy as Doro!